Sabalenka exited the French Open on Wednesday after dealing with a stomach bug.
Aryna Sabalenka reportedly plans to “start practicing on grass as soon possible and play Berlin” despite currently dealing with an illness that hampered her during a surprise French Open quarterfinal defeat, via Michal Samulski.
On Wednesday, reigning Australian Open champion Sabalenka suffered her first Grand Slam loss of the year after 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva came back from a set down to beat the second-seeded Belarusian 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-4.
While Andreeva played some great tennis, it was evident that Sabalenka was also struggling with something on the court. And after the match was over, Sabalenka was allowed not to conduct a traditional press conference. Instead, Sabalenka issued a brief statement through the WTA, where she revealed that she was dealing with a stomach bug for the past couple of days.
“I had a difficult time out there physically today. I have been very sick the last few days with some kind of stomach bug, so it’s been a challenge. It has been a few days, yes. I did my best to try and manage it,” Sabalenka said in a statement provided via WTA communications staff.
Sabalenka still hopes to start her grass season in Berlin
When a WTA 500 tournament in Berlin released its entry list, it was confirmed that Sabalenka was planning to start her grass season there. And now despite the latest developments, Sabalenka still hopes to play in Berlin, which is slated to kick off on June 17th.
Aryna Sabalenka will start training on grass as soon as she can and will play Berlin.
— Michal Samulski (@MichalSamulski) June 5, 2024
If Sabalenka manages to play in Berlin, she will make her fourth consecutive appearance at the tournament. In her first three Berlin appearances, the 26-year-old didn’t enjoy much success – she exited the tournament in the first round in 2022 while she was able to just make the round-of-16 in 2021 and 2023.
In Berlin, Sabalenka could face her biggest rivals as Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff are also scheduled to play there.